40-511: Admiral Sir Keith Edward Blount , KCB , OBE , FRAeS (born 22 June 1966) is a senior Royal Navy officer and pilot, who since July 2023 serves as NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe . He was Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability and Carriers) and head of the Fleet Air Arm from 2015 to 2019. He served as Commander Allied Maritime Command , NATO , from 2019 to 2023. Blount
80-407: A personal flag . An admiral of the fleet flies a Union Flag at the masthead, while an admiral flies a St George's cross (red cross on white). Vice admirals and rear admirals fly a St George's cross with one or two red discs in the hoist, respectively. The rank of admiral itself is shown in its sleeve lace by a broad band with three narrower bands. In 2001 the number of stars on the shoulder board
120-481: A barony that have yet gone into abeyance are the earldom of Arlington and the viscountcy of Thetford , which are united, and (as noted above) the earldom of Cromartie. It is no longer straightforward to claim English peerages after long abeyances. In 1927, a parliamentary Select Committee on Peerages in Abeyance recommended that no claim should be considered where the abeyance has lasted more than 100 years, nor where
160-430: A century, or the petitioner holds less than one-third of the claim. This doctrine is a 17th-century innovation, although it is now applied retrospectively for centuries. It cannot be applied perfectly; for example, the eighth Baron De La Warr had three surviving sons; the first died without children, the second left two daughters, and the third left a son. In modern law, the title would have fallen into abeyance between
200-463: A few dozen cases) were settled after a few years, in favour of the holder of the family properties; there were two periods in which long-abeyant peerages (in some cases peerages of doubtful reality) were brought back: between 1838 and 1841 and between 1909 and 1921. The Complete Peerage reports that only baronies have been called out of abeyance, although the Earldom of Cromartie was called out of
240-712: A permanent official staff, even if a permanent naval force was not yet considered necessary. Leybourne's immediate purview was subsequently divided into the roles of Admiral of the West and Admiral of the South while Botetourt's became the Admiral of the North ; the first and last merged as the Admiral of the North and West in 1364; and from 1408–1414 they were all reunited as the High Admiral of England, Ireland, and Aquitaine ,
280-530: A son. A co-heir may petition the Crown for a termination of the abeyance. The Crown may choose to grant the petition, but if there is any doubt whatsoever as to the pedigree of the petitioner, the claim is normally referred to the Committee for Privileges . If the claim is unopposed, the committee will generally award the claim, unless there is evidence of collusion , the peerage has been in abeyance for more than
320-497: A two-year abeyance in 1895. It is entirely possible for a peerage to remain in abeyance for centuries. For example, the Barony of Grey of Codnor was in abeyance for over 490 years between 1496 and 1989, and the Barony of Hastings was similarly in abeyance for over 299 years from 1542 to 1841. Some other baronies became abeyant in the 13th century, and the abeyance has yet to be terminated. The only modern examples of titles other than
360-586: Is air chief marshal . The title admiral was not used in Europe until the mid-13th century and did not reach England before the end of that century. Similarly, although some royal vessels are attested under King John , the English long depended upon levies of their subjects' vessels for any major naval expeditions. Nonetheless, historians have sometimes extended the concept of an English navy and its supposed admirals and lord high admirals back as far as Alfred
400-410: Is held by no one. If through lack of issue, marriage, or both, eventually only one person represents the claims of all the sisters, they can claim the dignity as a matter of right, and the abeyance is said to be terminated. On the other hand, the number of prospective heirs can grow quite large, since each share potentially can be divided between daughters, where the owner of a share dies without leaving
440-427: Is not vested in any one person, but awaits the appearance or determination of the true owner. In law , the term abeyance can be applied only to such future estates as have not yet vested or possibly may not vest. For example, an estate is granted to A for life, with remainder to the heir of B. Following A's death, if B is still alive, the remainder is in abeyance, for B has no heirs until B's death. Similarly,
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#1732780882779480-573: The freehold of a benefice , on the death of the incumbent , is said to be in abeyance until the next incumbent takes possession. The term hold in abeyance is used in lawsuits and court cases when a case is temporarily put on hold. The most common use of the term is in the case of English peerage dignities. Most such peerages pass to heirs-male , but the ancient baronies created by writ , as well as some very old earldoms , pass instead to heirs-general (by cognatic primogeniture ). In this system, sons are preferred from eldest to youngest,
520-451: The Great , counting several kings as themselves admirals, along with various dukes and earls who commanded fleets at prominent engagements such as Hubert de Burgh off Sandwich in 1217 . Other lists begin their count at King Henry III 's appointment of Sir Richard de Lucy on 28 August 1223 or 29 August 1224. A similar commission was given to Sir Thomas Moulton in 1264, who held
560-460: The case of Provo Wallis who served (including time being carried on the books while still a child) for 96 years. When he died in 1892 four admirals under him could immediately be promoted. By request of Queen Victoria , John Edmund Commerell became Admiral of the Fleet rather than Algernon Frederick Rous de Horsey , who as senior active admiral nearing the age limit would customarily have received
600-530: The claimant lays claim to less than one third of the dignity. The Barony of Grey of Codnor was treated as an exception to this principle, as a claim to it had been submitted prior to these recommendations being made to the Sovereign. It is common, but incorrect, to speak of peerage dignities which are dormant (i.e. unclaimed) as being in abeyance. Abeyance can be used in cases where parties are interested in temporarily settling litigation while still holding
640-503: The club. With this arrangement, the anti-abortion club held on to its right to immediately reopen the case again should the UVSS deny resources to the club in the future, and the UVSS was able to avoid an expensive legal battle it did not have the will to pursue at the time. Thus, the use of abeyance provided the security of a settlement for the anti-abortion campus club, while preserving the student society's voting membership's ability to take
680-701: The discretion of the Board of Admiralty . As there were invariably more admirals in service than there were postings, many admirals remained unemployed, especially in peacetime. The organisation of the fleet into coloured squadrons was finally abandoned in 1864. The Red Ensign was allocated to the Merchant Navy , the White Ensign became the flag of the Royal Navy, and the Blue Ensign was allocated to
720-578: The dispute to court. For example, abeyance was used as a settlement method in a Canadian lawsuit involving the University of Victoria Students' Society (UVSS), the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association , and a campus anti-abortion club to whom the UVSS denied funding. The parties agreed to settle the lawsuit by holding the case in abeyance in return for the UVSS temporarily giving resources back to
760-534: The fleet are sometimes considered generically to be admirals. The rank of admiral is currently the highest rank to which a serving officer in the Royal Navy can be promoted, admiral of the fleet being in abeyance except for honorary promotions of retired officers and members of the royal family. The equivalent rank in the British Army and Royal Marines is general ; and in the Royal Air Force , it
800-530: The fleet grew large enough to be organised into squadrons . The squadron's admiral flew a red ensign , the vice admirals white , and the rear admirals blue on the aft mast of his ship. As the squadrons grew, each was eventually commanded by an admiral (with vice admirals and rear admirals commanding sections) and the official ranks became admiral of the white and so forth, however each admiral's command flags were different and changed over time. The Royal Navy has had vice and rear admirals regularly appointed to
840-480: The forerunner to the present Lord High Admiral . (During this process, the short-lived post of Admiral of the Narrow Seas was used in 1412 and 1413. It was subsequently revived from 1523 to 1688.) The first royal commission as Admiral to a naval officer was granted in 1303 to Gervase Alard . By 1344, it was only used as a rank at sea for a captain in charge of one or more fleets. In Elizabethan times
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#1732780882779880-702: The formal title of Keeper of the Sea and the Sea Ports. On 8 March 1287, Sir William de Leybourne was specifically commissioned as the Admiral of the Seas of England ( Latin : Admirallus Maris Angliae ) and, in 1294, captain of all sailors and mariners of the king's dominions. Sir John de Botetourt served under him as warden at sea from the Thames to Scotland. This was part of an effort by Edward I to establish
920-407: The heirs of a son over the next son, and any son over daughters, but there is no preference among daughters: they or their heirs inherit equally. If the daughter is an only child or her sisters are deceased and have no living issue, she (or her heir) is vested with the title; otherwise, since a peerage cannot be shared nor divided, the dignity goes into abeyance between the sisters or their heirs, and
960-533: The matter back to court should they choose in the future to deny resources to the club. Other court cases may be held in abeyance when the issue may be resolved by another court or another event. This saves time and effort trying to resolve a dispute that may be made moot by the other events. During lawsuits related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act after the Supreme Court of
1000-411: The naval reserve and naval auxiliary vessels. The 18th- and 19th-century Royal Navy also maintained a positional rank known as port admiral . A port admiral was typically a veteran captain who served as the shore commander of a British naval port and was in charge of supplying, refitting, and maintaining the ships docked at harbour. The problem of promoting strictly by seniority was well illustrated by
1040-430: The post since at least the 16th century. When in command of the fleet, the admiral would be in either the lead or the middle portion of the fleet. When the admiral commanded from the middle portion of the fleet his deputy, the vice admiral , would be in the leading portion or van . Below him was another admiral at the rear of the fleet, called rear admiral . Promotion up the ladder was in accordance with seniority in
1080-405: The promotion; John Baird became an Admiral; James Erskine a vice-admiral; and Harry Rawson a rear-admiral. Ironically, all these younger men would die at least a decade before de Horsey. In the time before squadron distinctions were removed or age limits instituted, the death of James Hawkins-Whitshed resulted in ten men moving up to higher ranks. In 1996, the rank of admiral of the fleet
1120-467: The rank of post-captain , and rank was held for life, so the only way to be promoted was for the person above on the list to die or resign. In 1747 the Admiralty restored an element of merit selection to this process by introducing the concept of yellow admirals (formally known as granting an officer the position of "Rear-Admiral without distinction of squadron"), being captains promoted to flag rank on
1160-647: The rank of full admiral on 17 July 2023, as he started in the position. Blount has been awarded the Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with two clasps. While a commodore, Blount was awarded the Legion of Merit in the degree of officer by the President of the United States "in recognition of meritorious, gallant, and distinguished services during coalition operations in the field". Blount
1200-439: The right to seek relief later if necessary. This may be considered a desirable outcome in cases where the party to the lawsuit is an organization with a transient membership and political perspective. The use of abeyance in such instances can allow such an organization to 'settle' with the party without officially binding its actions in the future, should a new group of decision makers within the organization choose to pursue taking
1240-545: The two daughters of the second son, and nobody else would have been able to claim it even if the abeyance were settled; however, in 1597, the grandson of the third son (whose father had been re-created Baron De La Warr in 1570) claimed the title and its precedence. In 1604, the Baron le Despencer case was the first peerage abeyance ever settled; the second was at the Restoration in 1660. Most subsequent abeyances (only
Keith Blount - Misplaced Pages Continue
1280-462: The understanding that they would immediately retire on half-pay . This was the navy's first attempt at superannuating older officers. During the Interregnum , the rank of admiral was replaced by that of general at sea . In the 18th century, the original nine ranks began to be filled by more than one man per rank, although the rank of admiral of the red was always filled by only one man and
1320-627: Was Admiral of the White who then flew the Cross of St George . The next promotion step up from that was to Admiral of the Fleet. [REDACTED] Media related to Admirals of the United Kingdom at Wikimedia Commons Abeyance Abeyance (from the Old French abeance meaning "gaping") is a state of expectancy in respect of property , titles or office, when the right to them
1360-718: Was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2018 New Year Honours , and promoted to a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2023 New Year Honours . Admiral (Royal Navy) Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy , which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9 , outranked only by the rank of admiral of the fleet . Royal Navy officers holding the ranks of rear admiral , vice admiral and admiral of
1400-578: Was born on 22 June 1966 in Plymouth , England. He was educated at Plymstock School , a state secondary school in Plymouth. He completed a Master of Arts degree in Defence Studies from King's College London in 2004. Blount joined the Royal Navy in 1984, and qualified as a helicopter pilot in 1986. Following training, he served with 826 , 810 , 771 , 705 and 820 Naval Air Squadrons . He
1440-594: Was elected a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2016, and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2018 New Year Honours . He became Commander Allied Maritime Command , effective 20 May 2019, and was promoted to vice admiral on the same day. It was announced in November 2022 that Blount would become Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe in July 2023. He was promoted to
1480-522: Was increased to four, reflecting the equivalence to the OF-9 four-star ranks of other countries. Prior to 1864 the Royal Navy was divided into coloured squadrons which determined his career path. The command flags flown by an Admiral changed a number of times during this period, there was no Admiral of the Red rank until that post was introduced in 1805 prior to this the highest rank an admiral could attain to
1520-662: Was known as Admiral of the Fleet . After the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 the rank of admiral of the red was introduced. The number of officers holding each rank steadily increased throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1769 there were 29 admirals of various grades; by the close of the Napoleonic Wars in 1816 there were 190 admirals in service. Thereafter the number of admirals was reduced and in 1853 there were 79 admirals. Although admirals were promoted according to strict seniority, appointments to command were made at
1560-761: Was promoted to captain on 1 January 2010, and his commands have included HMS Ocean , the Iraqi Maritime Task Group, and the United Kingdom's Maritime Component in Bahrain. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours . He was promoted to commodore on 27 August 2013. Blount was promoted to rear admiral on 29 May 2015, and served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability and Carriers) and Rear Admiral Fleet Air Arm from May 2015 to February 2019. He
1600-467: Was put in abeyance in peacetime, except for members of the Royal family but was resurrected on an honorary basis in 2014 for the appointment of Lord Boyce . Admirals of the fleet continue to hold their rank on the active list for life. The current ranks are rear admiral, vice admiral, admiral and admiral of the fleet, also known as flag ranks because admirals, known as flag officers , are entitled to fly
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